Notes from APEC: SiC diodes quals; New GaN drivers; STMicro/3Sun

Transphorm has said repeatedly that it’s not just about announcing new products in the ultra-fast, new technology switching FET space of GaN-on-silicon, but providing production quantities of full-qualified parts. The company, which at last year’s APEC announced its entry into the GaN/Si FET market with its EZ-GaN products, Monday announced fully-qualified EZ-GaN power diodes. The TPS2010/11/12PK  parts arerated at 600V and 6/4/2A in a TO‐220 package.

Last year, back before National Semiconductor was purchased by TI, it introduced the industry’s first 100-V half-bridge driver for GaN FETs (such as those from EPC) which largely did away with many of headaches of interfacing to GaN-on-silicon switching devices. TI clearly sees the value in the product line, as it continues to roll out the next parts in the product line, including a low-side gate driver for use with MOSFETs and GaN power FETs in high-density power converters. The new LM5114 drives GaN FETs and MOSFETs in low-side applications, such as synchronous rectifiers and power factor converters. Together with the afore-mentioned LM5113, the family covers isolated DC/DC conversion driver designs for high-power GaN FETs and MOSFETs used in high-performance telecom, networking and data center applications.

And, finally, from Steve Taranovich, EDN’s roving editor at APEC, comes this tidbit about the STMicro/3Sun partnership. Steve says, “I spoke to Luca Difalco, Breakthrough Sectors Development Manager for ST and he discussed how the 3Sun partnership is paying off for ST. Inaugurated on July 8, 2011 the plant run by 3Sun – the equal share joint venture between Enel Green Power, Sharp and STMicroelectronics - will initially produce photovoltaic modules for 160 MW per year. Difalco says that this now gives ST the edge in the industry with a complete solar energy solution including the photovoltaic solar panel on through to smart diodes in the “Junction Box”, DC/DC converters, power inverter including H5 FET’s, ST’s Cortex M3 processor, communication (Power Line Communications, Zigbee and/or Wi-Fi) and power meter capability.”

(I’m very sorry I had to miss the excellent APEC power conference this year, but I’m off at Strategies in Light this week.)